Page 34 of Eternal Thorns

“Your grandmother knew about all this,” he realized, anger giving way to understanding. “The forest magic, the old partnerships. She was trying to preserve what knowledge she could.”

“Until the fear got too strong.” Kai's voice held old pain. “People started whispering about witchcraft, about dangerous pacts with the forest. She had to go deeper into hiding, only teaching me the smallest bits when no one was watching.”

“That's why you're really here,” Silas said softly. “Not just to watch, but to help rebuild what was lost.”

“If you'll still trust me.” Kai met his friend's eyes. “I hate that I had to hide this, but I swear everything else - every laugh, every adventure, every time I've had your back - that was all real.”

The key flared between them, casting their shadows on the wall. For a moment, they looked like echoes of another partnership from centuries ago - human and forest ally, working together to bridge worlds.

“Well,” Silas said finally, a slight smile breaking through his lingering hurt, “I suppose if we're going to fix centuries of magical disaster, I could use someone who actually knows what they're doing.”

“Oh, I have no idea what I'm doing.” Kai's familiar grin returned. “But I do know which herbs will keep forest spirits from turning you into a tree. Probably. Grandmother was a bit vague on that part.”

The tension broke as they both laughed, though underneath lay a new awareness. Their friendship hadn't changed, exactly, but it had deepened.

“About those magical paths you mentioned,”Silas said, running his hand along the library wall. “I think there's something here we missed before.”

The wall's paneling shifted under his touch, revealing subtle seams that formed a perfect archway. What had seemed like decorative carvings now showed themselves as intricate locking mechanisms.

“Of course there's a secret door,” Kai muttered. “Because this place wasn't gothic enough already.”

The hidden study beyond the door took both their breath away. Morning light streamed through stained glass windows that had been invisible from outside, illuminating a chamber that seemed frozen in time. Unlike the rest of the manor's neglected spaces, this room hummed with preserved purpose.

“Look at this,” Silas breathed, approaching a massive desk covered in carefully organized documents. “These are collaborative research notes. Observations of forest health signed by both Ashworths and forest spirits.”

Kai examined the walls, which bore floor-to-ceiling maps marked with winding paths through the Eldergrove. “These trails - they're marked with two different types of writing. One looks human, but the other...”

“Forest script,” Silas finished, recognizing the flowing symbols from his dream. “They worked together to map safe passages through both realms.”

But it was a sealed letter propped against an ancient inkwell that drew Silas's attention. The envelope bore a single line in elegant script: “To The Returner.”

“That's Marcus's handwriting,” he said, recognizing it from the dream. A complex symbol marked the seal - Thorne's magical signature intertwined with human runes.

“Should you open it?” Kai asked.

Silas carefully broke the seal, which dissolved into silver mist. The letter inside was written in two distinct hands, alternating between passages as if capturing a conversation.

To whoever finds this chamber,

You seek answers about what was broken between realms. But understand - the breaking was not a single act of betrayal, but a slow poisoning of trust. A darkness found the cracks in our partnership and widened them, feeding on doubts we should have shared instead of harboring.

Here the handwriting changed, becoming more fluid, less human.

We thought we could contain it. Thought that by sealing the breach between worlds, we could starve it of power. Instead, we only gave it more shadows to hide in, more divisions to exploit.

“This is it,” Silas said softly. “This is what actually happened. Not just betrayal, but something darker taking advantage of it.”

“Something that's still here,” Kai added, “judging by those shadows we keep seeing.”

The letter continued, switching back to Marcus's hand:

To the one who carries my key - you have a choice that I failed to make. The darkness offers easy power, quick solutions, the illusion of control. But true strength lies in trust freely given and wisdom dearly earned.

Thorne's writing concluded.

Choose differently than your ancestor. When the darkness whispers, remember what the forest and manor once were together. What they could be again.

Silas lowered the letter, mind racing with implications. “This wasn't just meant for any Ashworth who might return. They knew someone specific would come looking for answers.”

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